Skinning machine



June 23, 1953 F. J. r'coA'D SKINNING MACHINE Original Filed July 18, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 QL N @E mw m d. m m w. R um Mm ,I man .wl |u.FR Elg m am vm www y mmm B `H M rlllludlau.

ATTORNEY June 23, 1953 F. J. coAD SKINNING MACHINE 4 Shee-ts-Sheet 2 Original Fil-ed July v'18; 1944 FREDERIC J. COAD, .DECEASED, BY MRS. FREDERI ADMINISTRATRIX.

c J. coAD,

INVENToR. BY 22a/? ATTORNEY- June 23, 1953 F. J. COAD SKINNING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed July 18, 1944 FREDERIC J. COAD, DECEASED, BY MRS. FREDERIC J. COAD, ADMINISTRATRIX.

INVEN TOR. BY WA@ June 23, 1953 F. J. com 2,642,619

sKlNNlNG MACHINE Y original Filed July 18, 1944 4 sheets-sheet 4 FREDERIC J. COAD, DECEASED, BY MRS. FREDERIC J. COAD, ADMINISTRATRIX.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY fdamaged con-dition and yet it is desirable to sepatentecl .une 23, 1953 l SKIN'N IN G MACHINE Frederie J. Coad, ideeeased, late of .Des Moines, Iowa, by .Mrs. Frederic J Coad, administratrix, Des Moin-es, Iowa, ,assignoig by mesne assignments, to SWif-t'a Company, Chicagmlll., a corporaton'foflllinois Y Original applications July 18, 1944,*"Serial No. 545,474, and August 9, 1948,1Serial No. 43,286. l Divided and this' application September 28,

1951, Serial No. v249,3

This application'is a division of application Serial No. l545,474 filed July 18, 1944,`which -application -issued as PatentNo. 2,461,466, and apv-plication Serial No. 43,286f-led August 9,v @1948,

'which application issued fas Patent No. 2,'587;96.'7.

This invention relates -to a machine for yre- `moving Vskin from meat cuts and more particu- 'larly-to va ydevice for forcibly pulling skin from a meat shoulder or' ham out.

' It is'an object of-this invention to provide a jmachine for pulling skin from a meat out.

-6 Claims. (Cl. 17-21) Va pulling force is .exerted against the skin land,

' when the puliing force is applied in the right -v It is-another objectof this invention to provide -an impro'vedf-means' for removing skin from a '-.plura-lity of-sh`oulder -cuts or ham cuts.

@ther objects will appear below.

In prepari-ng certain" meat items for the 'cony-s'uiner trade `itis necessary thatV the skin'be removed'from the cut and'particularly is this true when ham'V and -shoulder -cuts are prepared -forrthe` :retailt'rade with the bone removed. Furthermo're skin is a valuable Vby-product 'yielding veither a' high grade Agelatin or'l'eather, and, therelfore, when supplying large volumes of certain cuts to the hotel and restaurant trade where the skin cannot 'be utilized itis removed fromthese Ycuts for Yits 'value as a lby-product. @It has been -`the practice in the 'past'toremove 2t-he skins `by a cutting 'operation' and mechanical fcutting means ,are available toreinove the skin vfrom a flat slab of meat. When, however,` an irregularlyshapedl cut such Yas a shoulder or ham cutis to 4"be skinned, it Ais'necessaryfth'at hand cutting operation be performed to 'effect a :sep-

arationof'the'skin. 'In' removing the skin from an irregularly shaped cut by hand,l not only kis .considerable jlabor involved `but also the labor must be quite skilled. "Ifthe .skin is to'be used inth'e Vpreparation of leather, it must be removed in can unarate-the skin from the `cut Without leaving yany vvmeat or fat vclinging to the flesh side of the skin. It is seen therefore that the most eicient rem'oval of theskin'requires the `operator to rapidly isever vthe skin from the meat .cut by slicing through the `layer beneath the skin. It is thus jreadily apparent jthat considerable practice' is required before an operator can vperform this Lrelatively Vdelicate operation in a rapid manner.

'The present invention has been provided toy :make available a skinning machine adapted'to lthe removal of skin from an irregularly shaped eut Aof-meat without necessitating a cutting oper- 'ation s'u'chfas might injurethe'skin.' tprov'i'des f a means -for relatively-nxingthe meat 'cut 'while- :direction,the skin may' be :peeled .01T quiteefectiglly ywithout tearing or otherwise damaging 4the s y The machine forming an embodiment of the subject of this invention is shown in the :drawings wherein:

Figure 1 represents a' side elevation lpartly broken away Ao'f't'he .preferred form l.of vthe 'machine for ysimultaneously handling ya plurality of irregularly shaped cuts :during theskinning operation,

Figure 2 represents'an end elevation` partly broken' away of the preferred form of .thermachine shown in Figure `1,

Figure'S representsY a .plan view `partly broken away of the preferredfrormof the machine shown -in Figure 1,

Figure 4 represents .a s'ideelevation of' a second formuofthe machine,

'Figure 5 is a .plan View of the machine shown in Figure 4,

Figure v6 is a perspective lview lof a bifurcated lhookfelement shownin Figs. 4 and 5 for engag- 'ing'the meat cut, and

Figure 7 Vis a sideelevation .ofv a form of the machine illustrated in Figure 1 in Which-the ham .cut is moved while holding the skin relatively stationary. Y

In general, the preparation of boned shoulder-and ham `cuts includes askinning operation.

'While the present invention finds particular application tothe skinning ofA -such'por-tions of la carcass,it will beu'apparentas 4the description /proceeds'that the inventionmay'nd use in the fsklnning of larger cuts and up -toone-half and )whole carcasses. These ham and shoulder cuts,

however, have a generally Virregular shape and thus rcannot readily be adapted to ya machine Vcutting operation for removal of 'the skin Vfrom around the `entire periphery of the cut. The herein disclosed invention' "is, therefore, particularly adapted yto the Skinning offcuts of this type Yby a skin ypulling method. Whenthe shoulder and ham cuts are removed from the carcass the 'shoulder' cut, for example, isy severed so that the humerus'boneextends longitudinally through the cut. The ham is removed insuch a mannerthatthe vfernur'bone extends through the cut. Each of the humerus and femur bones of course is formed with an -enlarged end where the bones engage the shoulder land elbow joints,

for hip land knee joints respectively.

-It has been foundthatthe'skin ymay berap'idly the skin may be slit on the inside of the leg4v when the tab is loosened on the outside before the cut is placed on theA table and between the prongs. Y

When the ham is so positioned on the table I9 and the end I3 of the bone is firmly engaged be- 'Io remove skins by pulling, inaccordance with y this teaching, the cut is fixed in a machine designed for a power pulling action whereupon the skin is pulled back upon itself so that it is peeled from the meat. The shoulder or ham cut is prepared for Skinning by having a tab of skin lifted up on the outside of the leg cut so that it may be engaged by suitable clamping means and, i'n addition, the skin is just cut through along a line generallyparallel with the longitudinally extending bone of the cut on the inside portion of the leg of the animal. The inside cutis carefully made so thatonly the skinis cut. The incision need be no deeper.

`When pulling the skin from the cutY it has been found that the most satisfactory skin removal results from engaging the skin in a manner such that it is ripped from the cut by reversing the -skin upon itself. The fell layer of beef or lamb,

for example, is Vmore quickly broken by this procedure because the pulling force is always directly appliedto the fell at the fold as the skin folds over upon itself. The fell is comprised Vof many small fibers interlaced and bonded to the skin and iiesh. This manner of pulling exerts a maximum pull against a fewer number of fell fibers than any other method so that the fibers are tensioned and broken before the pullling force can be substantially transmitted and distributed through the flesh or other more remote fell fibers. A similar advantage in directing the application of the pulling force substantially to the line of separation at the fold of the skin is also realized in Skinning pork, and the pork skin is easily rolled back upon itself in a manner to be quickly and easily separated from the esh and fat.

m A machine adapted to perform this operation is shown in the drawings and referring to Figure l, ham cut Il] is shown in position to be engaged by a clamping means to effect a removal of the .skin from the cut. The ham has femur bone II extending therethrough and a skin tab denoted I2. The femur boneV has an enlarged hip joint end I3 at the butt end of the cut; which may be engaged between one of the pairs of the prongs I4 and I5 forming a holding means for a cut on the Skinning machine.

The two pairs of prongs I4 and I5 are ixedly mounted on a suitable movable supporting head I slidable in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 2. The head I6 may be mounted upon guide tracks I'I and I8 for this lateral movement across the machine for a purpose that will appear more fully below, and the two pairs of prongs are supported on the head to hold the meat cut engaged thereby on table I9. Suitable stiifening arms I6 may be xedly mounted on the side of supporting head I6 which faces the frame of the machine, the arms carrying rollers at their free ends to bear against the frame of the machine in order to brace the hooks against the frame of the machine when the skin peeling force is applied. It is to be understood of course that as the pulling effort increases.

tween the one pair of prongs I4 and I5, a clamp 20 is fixed to the tab I2 by engagement of jaws 2| and 22 whereupon the clamp 20 may then be connected to a driven pulling mechanism.

Clamp 20 may take the form of a pincher like device wherein the jaws 2| and 22 are driven together upon closing of arms 23 and 24. Arms 23 and 24 are normally urged apart by Spring 25 and are closed together when links 26 and 21 are pulled outwardly as when chain 28 is connected to the pulling means. This construction provides a clamping Vdevice which is normallyk urged to position for releasing anything engaged between the jaws 2| and Y22 yet when once engaged, and as long as pulling action is exerted, the jaws tend to engage the skin more tightly A As long as the closing tendency caused by the pulling action is Vgreater than the contracting force of spring 25,

The iiexible link or chain 28 for transmitting` the pulling force to the clampV 20 is xed at one end to a carriage 3l). Carriage 3|) is provided with a downwardly extending hook arm V3| adapted for engagement withthe driven pulling means. Carriage 30 is designed to slide or ride across the top surface of the pulling machine and has suitable bearing members 32 and 33 for supporting the carriage on this surface or slideway. A slot 34, Figure 3, in the surface permits the hook arm 3| to extend downwardly therefrom for engagement withv the pulling means.

The invention here shown makes use of a pulling means taking the form-of a ,pair of driven chains 40 and 4| carried on suitable sprocket wheels. These two chains are interconnected at spaced points with cross bars 42 and the upper run of the composite chain structure is positioned below slot 34 to cooperate vwith the hook arm 3| to drive the carriage forwardly in the direction of the arrow as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The chains 40 and 4I may be driven from any` suitable power source to effect the desired pulling action. Y Y

The above described mechanism is operative to .engage the skin of any cut xedly held with respect to chains 4I! and 4| so that the skin may be pulled therefrom. A cut may be laidV on the table I9 and engaged in the machine by forcing the bonel between one of thepairs of prongs I4 and I5, as shown in Figure 1. The head I6 is then adjusted laterally to place the cut generally in front of the slot 34 whereupon the jaws 2| and 22 may be closed onto the tab I2 and the chain 2B pulled to clamp the jaws. Then the hook arm 3| is dropped down through slot 34 and between f chains 40 and 4I for engagement with one of the cross bars 42 of the driven pulling means.

When the hook arm is taken up behind one of the cross bars 42, it is carried forwardly and carriage 30 rides forwardly on-the slideway on upper surface of the frame of the machine. The forward motion of the carriage 30 through link 28 and clamp 20 pulls the skin off of the out Vprogressively from one end to the other by reversing the skin upon itself. The jaws 2| and asfissia:

sa.- 22 'i are,L by this f aeti'onpdrivenf.; together: soLthat` th'efskinvis -rrn'lyengaged during the entire-pull.;17V ingoperation.-` .l -m .v

It lhasabeenfoundithat -wldenltheskinJ .is-pulled may-:benengagedion'.the othenpairofprongs Irl 20v and-1| 5.'. The-tab; l 2 ofthislsecondcut may then bef-raised :and iengagedfv onto. av clamp 26K softhat f v as soonmas theskin pulling process Y' being v perfo'rmed; `is completed,4 thefhead` 1I BI-maybeeshifted placevlthe second cutfbeforevslot 3i so thathook` arm: 31.1*- of I the.- clamping vstructure -xedtoits skin, may be droppedd' into the pulling means. The movablehead-mounting means` i6for the one! operator` t'ovutiflizel the-imachinelto the fullest' possiblefexten-t. 'Y

A4, modined forme ot theiabcve described .ma-

ch'in'e:isshown :in AFigure. f4; and in this device a bifurcated hook 50i-as shownfflnfFigure 6,1 as pro- 35%:

vided, hav-ing@diver-gingarms-forengagingfrthe boneloftheimeatfcutland aclamp .5i is also pro` videdfforiixingto theek-'int' The-jaws 52 and 53J of A the clampA are urgedtogether by manipulation n of? arms- 541 and; 551- which ins turn areso -40v connected `thatxwhenaepulling action-is exerted against the clamp, the jaws are driven'f-together'.- The arms 54-'and 55 fare '-interconnectedby a'link 56which -at -one endis' pivotally connectedto-the'V armv 55 ande at -th`eother i ends is slidablyf connecteduto': arm 54 incasuitable slot. The-sliding end of linkfisconnected :to thelchain 5l fand' anypull exerted against the-link 56 .by` chain 51 A causesthelower 4end Aof link 56 to slide to the left;r asin Figure 4,-so that arm 55-is -pulled down` wardly to drive thevfjaw-53 against'jaw' 52;'-

The lclamp'- is l slidably mounted in a movable i carriageel carried-upon the top frame ofthe machine. 'in-` suitable slide*- ways, the clampvb'eing slidable Yin the carriage on-'a guide'way 6i. The'- 55 carriage is adapted to be driven by a suitable power meansisuchpasithe air-motor lll and the driven piston offthe air motor isv connected to the lcarriage through-.,-theconnecting rod l I, which is lixedly connectedv to carriage 60.

In the operationv ofthe mechanism shown in Figures 4 and 5, the clamp 5i is attached to the skin tab I2 and then the power is supplied to the air motor so that the pistonvis driven to the left as shown in Figure 4. When the connecting 65 'rod 'Il moves to the left, the carriage 60 is carried therewith. The clamp 5| remains stationary until the slack in chain 51 is taken up whereupon continued movement ofthe carriage causes the jaws 52 and 53 to be engaged tightly on the skin 70 ap so that further movement of the carriage causes a drawing action to be applied against the skin so that it is forcibly stripped from the meat cut engaged upon the hook 50.

The motive power to the motor'l is controlled 75 ing the skin from the meat cut.

byiansuitablei, air. :valve -121 locatedadj acentithe-v workingms'tation :of fthevmaohine land.- by suitable.; manipulation .ofthe valve the-piston and the.l airv motor` canbe. .dri-ven: .to..the;le'ft ori: right to.- efectfirst a pulling o iT oisithelskin andEthere-e. aftera :return-lof: the .carriagetoiitsinitiallstartinga position whereby the clamp can be engagednon aasecond put.. to` effect a removal, of;:th"e skin'.` Y l Aslfabove stated-,1* the :skiniof "fa shoulder or ham;1 f

cutfis Lprepared-A fior removal by freeing-a ltabi -of` i skin-A -adjacent the: outside -o fthe .shoulderoonhip joint.i The :surfaceon the inside-.loi.theanimaISi legnis cut skin .deep alongca;lineesubstantialiylv parallel r to the L femur i or..I humerus .boneadisposedu in the heut When `theskinl is Qprepar'edf. inathis .Y manner; the skiny may. berforciblypulled off.l of...J the cut without damage to 'the'.skin Yorthe meat; cut.y i

` Aseshown- -inv Figur-eil vthe cut canbe: laid over. on-l the Atable-with -the 4skin tab; onu-top` of the. cut sowthatvtheclamp may:- beiiengaged onnth'etabufy andL thef skin `pulled-f1` .back upon itself as sA the@y clamp? lmoves-:over the top f of i the--cut. In some. instances,J the -cut can-be. more easily `placed on the hooks if the cut is handledaslshown inl Fig-Y l uref4.' In thislinstancefthe cut is merely-placed on2the--hook55- in such: a manner that the Jskinf tab l2 isadjacent theclampandwvhenthe clamp.7 is xedto thetab'fthe cutfis@allowedto-iall lover: onto `the-clamp so that theenlargedeendof-the bone-is engaged in thehookias the -'cut falls -onto the clamp. Thereafter, as :the clamp-is L driven out from l under. the-cut,j the= skiniscforciblys drawn off of the meat.: Theipullingfforceexertedbythe-clamp-ongthe Ltab -will aidin'. turning down the-*cutonto-thecla-mp. Itiisobvious that the`YV ratecatf which thecut isf-turned will depend oni how-@rigidly the cut is 1 placed on 'the-v hook l and on thel'amount f of the-force that is applied tol-it'.` Infsomeins`tar`1ces,V the outfmayfbe turned --mores slowlyandmay- Ynot beecompletely; `turned downsuntil the skin is partially or substantiallywwholly removed.Y The manner of engaging-the meat cut on thehooks: as -shown'inheith'er Figures l Vor- 4 may be -used-v interchangeably Lwith either form-ofthe-lfnaeh'ine Y 'Iheabove-'description ofthe machine shows'its4 applicationftocuts-oic` irregular shape;4 Itwisobvious that a-fflatcut 'cou-ldrbeffxedly engaged-- and its skin attached atol one ofv :the clamping means so; that the-skin couldxbe.k drawn" from fthe-lout .as describedY abovea Thetnmachine. is: particularly.

adapted,i however, to-A theremovals'of'fskinffromc irregular-1.r out-s ;suchf. as'. shoulder and ham#` cuts where the meatimaybeI separatedsfrom: the-.skin

by; 'a' mere pulling I action: l

In trimmingV certain cuts .'for. -theeretailietradey it fis the custom .to leave` a. ring..- of f. skin around;j the/-hockli'orIshank end of the. cut.' This maylbef accomplishedin'the .present Amachine.V by cuttingi throughy thegskin` at the shock: endebeforepullf.

It is likewise apparent that the skin may be stripped from the cut by pulling it from the hock end toward the butt end. The preferredstripping, however, is as above described. l

y Many modications of the invention disclosed herein may occur to those skilled in the art.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with means for holding the cut stationary while pulling the skin, it isreadily apparent that the skin could be fixed and the cut moved. Figure 7 illustrates an embodiment of such machine. In this case the bracket which supports hook 50 is attached to chains 40 and M v by Vmeans of cross bars 42 whereby 'the chains move the hook 50 across the top run to the right in Figure 7. Clamp 20 is held in arelatively fixed position, i. e., restrained against movement tothe right in Figure17 by reason of chain 28 being fixed to the frame'of the machine as illustrated at 15. y

The rotation ofY chains 40 and 4l maybe any speed convenient to allowing the ham cut to be placed over hook 50 and the clamp 20 to be secured to tab I2 of the cut;y As the hookBlJ rises to the top run at the left end of Figure 7, the ham cut I maybe slipped down over the hook as previously described in connection with Figure 4. The clamp may be secured to tab I2 on the skin either before' or after the cut is engaged upon the hook 50.

As chains 40 and 4| move hook 50 and cut l0 to the right in Figure "I, the slackin chain 28 will run out, and as the chain tightens, the pull on tab l2 Will strip the skin from the cut with thecut being turned down into a horizontal position as the pull is applied. The position ofV the out will be substantially that illustrated at the right end of Figure 7. i

The length of the machine may be any distance which will satisfactorily permit the meat cuts to be mounted on the hooks, the skin to be pulled therefrom and the cuts to be subsequently removed from the hooks. The cuts may be removed after the skin has been stripped therefrom by lifting them up and by tipping them forwardly to disengage-the biiurcated end of the hook 50 from thecut and'bone thereof.

VA single or plural grouping of pulling means may be associated with clamping means to-hold the cuts, but as shown in the preferred form of the machine as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a single pulling means is adapted to cooperate with a plurality of holding means. All such modications -are considered to be within the scope of the following claims. f

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for Skinning meat comprising a frame structure, an endless conveyor mounted on the frame structure, means xed on said conveyor forl passing a meat piece therewith, and stationary clamping means mounted on said frame structure for holding an edge of skin on said meat piece against forward movement with said conveyor,k said conveyor means Apermitting 'rotation of the meat piece about an axis below said edge of skin to turn the meatpiece as the conveyor travels and thus remove the skin.`

2. A machine for Skinning av meat piece comprising a frame structure,' an endless conveyorr mounted on the frame structure, means iixed on said conveyor for passing a meat piece Vtherewith, said means including a curved pointed hook adapted to engage'the meat piece, and stationary clamping means mounted on said frame structure for holding an edge of skin on said'Y meat piece against -forward movement with said conveyor, j said hook being pointed in the directionof move- A ment thereof .to permit turning of the meat piece as it is carried forwardlyby vsaidmeans to remove the skin therefrom.

3. A machine as set forth in claimA 1 whereinV said first means includes a pair'of curved hooks pointed in the direction vof movement thereof for engaging the meat piece on both sides'of a bony section thereof. v

4. A machine forremoving the skin from meatl pieces comprising fa frame structure, a conveyor mounted on said frame, a tableA adjacent the ref motion and passing relatively close to the center of said meat, and means for holding said clamping means to remove the skin from the meat piece as the piece is passed forwardly on the conveyor by said engaging means.

5. A machinefor pulling skin surrounding a bone having enlarged ends such as the humerus bone of a shoulder cut and the femur bone of a ham cut comprising means to engage the bone of said cut at one of the enlarged ends of the bone, a clampingmeans adapted to be xedly secured to the skin, said clamping meansv being restrained againstV movement in a given direction, and power driven endless chain means adapted for connection with vthe engagingmeans to pull the engaging'means away from said clamping means in said direction to pull the skin from the cutprogressvely from one end to the other. Y Y

6. `A machine for pulling skin from a meat cut surrounding abone such Vas the humerus Abone of a shoulder cut and the femur. bone of a ham cut;v said machine comprising a frame; a powerdriven conveyor mounted on said frame for movement-in a given direction; a'bifurcate'dV holding means to relatively xedly engage the bone of said out, said means lbeing ymounted on said `conveyor to move said cut in av given direction along a portion of the path of said conveyor; and

a skin engaging means attached to said frame to restrainV the movement of the skin engaging means in direction of the movement of said meat cut.

v MRS. FRERERIC J. CoAD,

Administratrix, same person as Gw'endolyn Coad,v

of the estate of Frederic J.v Coad, deceased. No references cited.

from a meat cut 

